KAYLA GEORGE
GREENHOUSE DIRECTOR / CATAPULT PROJECT VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

ARTISANAL ICE CREAM CONFECTIONIST / PEOPLE LOVER / CHEERLEADER FOR THE UNDERDOG / WESTERN MICHIGAN TRANSPLANT / ENCOURAGER

POINT OF ORIGIN:
Plainwell, Michigan

IN A NUTSHELL:
Jesus lover. Closeted foodie. In love with people. A little Bridget Jones - I can say and do some pretty silly things. I root for the underdog in almost any situation. I hate bullying - not bullies - just the bullying. Love meeting new friends. LOVE making someone feel at ease. I like projects. I'm not so great with technology - but manage to somehow still be a millennial. Myers Briggs says that I'm an ENFJ - which means I practically weep at everything. If it's scary, I weep. If it's beautiful, I weep. Sad, weep. Happy, weep. Did I mention that I'm married to an amazing man who is the absolute farthest thing from anywhere near emotional? I have two Labrador Retrievers who are the apple of my eye. They are gross, stinky and dirty - and I love them. In 2009 my husband Jonathan and I moved to Malawi, Africa where we were able to love on and invest in what I believe to be one of the most beautiful and generous cultures on the planet.

MORE PLEASE:
Indian food. A great nights sleep. The feeling when you've accomplished something important. Singing children. Wet dog kisses. Bonfires with my husband in our back yard. Justice. Restoration. The Manor Theater. Antique cookbooks. Laughing from your belly with friends. Holden Beach, NC. Picking blueberries on my grandpa's farm in Michigan. Family.

HOW I COLLIDED WITH WATERSHED:
When Jonathan and I moved to Charlotte in August of 2005 - we could not find an apartment that would allow us to house ourselves and our beast creature chocolate lab, Zico. It was torture. We broke down and paid way over our budget for a rental in the first ward of uptown Charlotte - praying that we would find a way to cover all of our bills. About a week after we arrived - we received a post card in the mail about Watershed - this new church that was going to launch in early September 2005. As it would happen, we didn't have any invites from our new colleagues about where to go for church that Sunday - so we managed to be present for Watershed's very first Sunday 6 years ago. I remember Donna and Taryn singing and thinking - thank you God for letting us find this exorbitantly priced apartment in uptown Charlotte so that we would get that post card. We've called Watershed home ever since.

MY FAVORITE FACET OF THE SHED:
Community. I've been a part of some pretty cool churches - but I've never felt community the way that I feel it at Watershed.

MY CURRENT LIFE LEARNING:
To see God the way a child would see him - sometimes just being in awe. My time with our GreenHouse kids has taught me that. Also, there's something really freeing about stepping out on faith - even when it is super scary.

TRIVIALITIES:
I'm the youngest of four and the only girl. I wore a LOT of boy hand-me-downs as a child and am not too thrilled with a) being held down and tickled b) American football (sorry guys) and c) feeling like if I don't eat my dinner as fast as humanly possible and protect my plate - someone might start trying to finish my roast beef for me.

I SHARE MY LIFE WITH:
My incredible husband, Jonathan George. He's a kick booty 7th grade social studies teacher at Piedmont IB Middle School. My buddy Zico - sleeping chocolate lab by day, ever-so-slightly stinky city protector by night and Zoe - sleeping yellow lab by day, sleeping yellow lab by night.

WHY I LOVE GREENHOUSE:
Oh man, where do I begin? I love the kids. I love their innocent and unharmed perspective on the world. I love watching them grow. I love watching them connect with our incredibly dedicated volunteers. I LOVE our volunteers! I love that they are learning things about God's Kingdom that I didn't begin learning until college even - this gives me such hope. I love when they are goofy. I love that they are engaging Jesus so that ultimately, they can be more like him. Man, I love that.

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